- Microsoft’s Desperate Move – Microsoft has sunk billions into equipping its search engine, Bing, with chatbot technology, ChatGPT, in an attempt to compete with Google Search.
- Google’s Insecurity – Google has followed suit and is now incorporating chatbots into its products. This is likely due to its history of jumping on trends due to fear of being left behind, as evidenced by its entry into the Chinese market in 2006 and its subsequent attempts to close the social media gap with Facebook.
- Google’s History – Google’s history has been characterized by follies such as cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party to censor search results, as well as its failed attempt to create a successful social media platform with Google Plus.
- Google’s Real Business Model – Google’s most successful products are not ones they have created in-house, but rather ones they have acquired. Google’s attempt to integrate chatbots into search is likely an attempt to regain its reputation as an innovator.
Published February 16, 2023
Visit The Atlantic to read Cory Doctorow’s original post How Google Ran Out of Ideas
